"Embarra.s.sed?" she repeated with incredulity. "I"m mortified. I"ll never be able to face your brother again."
Through the wall, Axel said, "That"s okay. The rear view was pretty spectacular, too."
Frannie lifted the pillow and stared at the wall with the meanest look Booker had ever seen. Before she could say anything rash, he touched her shoulder. "Ignore Axel. He"s an idiot."
"I am," Axel agreed. And then, more sincerely, "I"m sorry I embarra.s.sed you, hon. Booker will beat the h.e.l.l out of me later, I"m sure, because I b.u.mbled into his fantasy. And I"ve no doubt you are his fantasy. You only have to look at his face when he talks about you."
Frannie twisted about, her narrowed gaze colliding with Booker"s heated expression. "Really?"
"Cross my heart."
Axel sighed. "There. All"s well that ends well?"
Booker growled. "Will you go away, Axel?"
Cary said, "I"ll drag him off, Booker. You two just go about your business."
Frannie"s expression said, Yeah, right. They both knew Cary and Axel probably had their ears pressed to the wall with no intention of budging.
She was still red-faced, Booker noted, but at least she appeared less murderous. Tired of waiting, Booker scooped her up into his arms and carried her into her living room, away from prying ears. He settled onto the sofa with Frances on his lap. She hadn"t turned any lights on yet, so the Christmas tree provided the only real glow in the room. The lights blinked behind her, forming a soft halo against her fair hair.
"I love you, Frances."
She curled into him, hiding her face in his neck. "Even though I just made a gigantic fool of myself?"
"You didn"t. You pleased the h.e.l.l out of me." He smoothed her waist, enjoying the feel of her beneath the terrycloth, the dips and hollows and swells of her body-soon to be his for the taking. Maybe even his forever.
"Axel"s right, you know. You are my fantasy, and knowing what you likely intended when you came over to my place has me fully loaded and ready to go." He nibbled on her ear, kissed her temple.
"Yeah?" She wiggled against his erection, letting him know she understood his meaning.
"d.a.m.n right. Now if I could just get you to let loose of this robe..."
Wearing a beautiful smile, she did, and Booker spread it open so he could look at her to his heart"s content. Curled on his lap, every part of her was within reach. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, her soft belly, her smooth thighs. Those dark blond curls over her mound.
Booker drew a shuddering breath. Physically, he didn"t know where to start, where to touch or taste her first.
Emotionally, he knew exactly what he wanted. Gaze glued to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, voice gruff with tenderness, he said, "As long as you"re being agreeable, do you suppose you could tell me that you love me, too?"
"I do." He glanced up to find her face rosy with pleasure, antic.i.p.ation and... love. "I have for such a long time."
He hadn"t realized he was so tense until her quick agreement sank in. He let out a long breath. "Do you suppose you could agree to marry me?"
"Yes."
She squeaked from his sudden tight embrace, but Booker couldn"t seem to loosen his hold. She pressed her palms against him until she could turn on his lap, facing him. She shrugged off the robe, opened his shirt and pressed herself to him chest to chest-heart to heart.
Booker"s hands roamed freely down her back to her bottom, along the sides of her thighs. Again, he scooped her up, keeping her tight to his chest until he laid her gently on the floor beneath the tree.
As he shrugged off his clothes, his hands already shaking with antic.i.p.ation, he smiled. "Christmas dinner is going to be interesting." He pulled a condom from his wallet and tossed it to the floor beside her.
"If your brother says one word to me, if he even looks at me funny, I"ll clout him."
Booker came down over her. She hadn"t refused dinner, and that was all he cared about. He wanted his family to meet her. They"d love her as much as he did. "As I said, interesting."
For several minutes, he simply enjoyed kissing her, touching her. There was no music in the background this time, but Frannie"s soft moans and small whimpers were better than any holiday tune.
When he slipped his fingers between her thighs, she arched up. Wet, hot. He stroked two fingers deep, working them in and out of her at a leisurely pace, feeling the grasp and release of her body. Her eyelids sank down, her lips parted.
"Come for me, Frannie." He brought his thumb into play, using her own wetness to glide over her c.l.i.toris, softly, easily, repeatedly.
"Booker."
"That"s it." He kissed her mouth hard, swallowing her cries, drowning in satisfaction. When she quieted, he rolled the condom on in record time, held her knees high and wide, and pushed into her.
They both groaned.
To Booker"s delight, he felt Frances begin tightening all over again. Her short nails stung his shoulders, her runner"s thighs held him tight to her. He pumped into her fast, deep-and as she arched high, her mouth open on a raw cry, he came.
Though it was frosty and cold outside, they were both now warm and sweaty. Frances"s heart continued to gallop under his cheek. He remained deep inside her, and he never wanted to move.
She was quiet so long, he finally forced himself up to his elbows. Looking at her, at her sated, sleepy contentment, filled his heart to overflowing. "What are you thinking about?"
Lazily she smiled, her eyes opening the tiniest bit. "I got what I wanted for Christmas."
"Me, too."
"But Christmas morning isn"t for several more days. I"d like to know just how you plan to top this, Booker Dean. Because I can tell you, it isn"t going to be easy."
The grin tugged at his mouth, then won. He laughed out loud. "Oh, I dunno. I think I can come up with something."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He lowered himself to kiss her throat, her flushed b.r.e.a.s.t.s, each and every rib. Little by little, he scooted down her body. When he reached his destination, he whispered, "Now this is a gift I won"t mind getting every morning for the rest of my life."
With a small moan, Frannie agreed.
All She Wants for Christmas.
Janelle Denison.
Chapter One.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas everyone!"
Even though Faith Roberts had been antic.i.p.ating his arrival, she shivered as the husky greeting slipped down her spine and an all-too-familiar heat gathered deep in her belly. There was only one man lately who"d been able to elicit such a thrilling response, and his visit at today"s festive, holiday celebration was no exception.
"It"s Santa!" one child exclaimed in joyful excitement, and that"s all it took for the activity room in the children"s ward to break out in squeals of delight. The kids erupted into a mad rush toward the jolly man in the red suit and gathered around him, all sixteen of them vying for his attention, all at once.
Faith laughed, not that she could blame the little imps, or the young nurses who"d left their stations to watch Matthew Carlton, pediatric surgeon, in action. Even dressed in a bright red Santa suit, complete with a padded tummy, fluffy white beard, and wire-rimmed gla.s.ses, the man still managed to exude ma.s.s quant.i.ties of s.e.x appeal, and no one of the female gender seemed immune to his easygoing charm and affable personality.
Especially her. And if all went as planned, by the end of this holiday party Santa would be granting Faith her fondest wish.
All she wanted for Christmas this year was one hot, unforgettable night of pa.s.sion with playboy Matthew Carlton before she moved on to the next phase of her life and started dating seriously again. No more wondering what it would feel like to have Matthew"s mouth on hers and his hands sliding across her curves. No more tossing and turning in her bed all alone as she fantasized about having that solid body of his moving over hers, sliding deep inside where she was soft and warm and wet. She craved the real thing, and if his interest in her was any indication, she didn"t think he"d refuse her seductive request.
She"d spent the last six months skirting his flirtatious advances and turning down dinner invitations because of his love "em and leave "em reputation around the hospital, but after a year of remaining single and cautious due to a past relationship gone bad, she was ready to give in to the attraction and restless desire she"d been fighting for too long. Ready to give in to temptation and enjoy every sensual delight he had to offer. And this time she"d do so with her eyes wide open, and keep her heart out of the equation.
As Santa made his way to the red velvet throne next to the gaily decorated Christmas tree, with his entourage of youngsters in tow, his twinkling blue eyes swept the area and stopped on her for a moment. Faith saw his beard twitch with a smile, and he winked at her before he settled himself in his chair and returned his attention to the ecstatic kids.
Another rush of heat tingled along her skin and scattered across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, pebbling her nipples into tight aching points. Doing her best to subdue her body"s reaction to Dr. s.e.xy, as he"d been appropriately dubbed by the female hospital staff, she immersed herself in the carefree, festive mood that had been created for the sick and recovering children who"d be staying in the hospital through Christmas.
While everyone had shuffled forward to greet Santa, and her good friend, Chayse Douglas, snapped pictures to doc.u.ment the occasion, Faith remained behind with five-year-old April, who sat on her lap clutching her soft worn blanket. She watched the commotion from afar with big round eyes, fascinated but unsure whether she wanted to join in the melee.
Faith didn"t push the little girl, certain she"d come around once she saw Santa pull gifts from the big velvet bag he"d brought with him and discovered he"d given the kids precisely what they"d asked for. Last week, as a volunteer in the children"s ward, Faith had helped each child write a letter to Santa; then afterward she"d gone shopping with Chayse to make sure that all the kids received at least one item that they"d asked for.
As the procession around Santa continued, Chayse came over to Faith, sat in the vacant seat beside her, and loaded a new roll of film into her camera. "Do you think Santa would be up to being a hunk in the Outdoor Men calendar project I"m doing for charity next year?"
Faith chuckled at the frustration threading through her friend"s voice, knowing the source of her discontent. "I take it you haven"t been able to recruit Adrian Wilde to pose as your last subject yet, hmm?"
"No, but not for a lack of trying," Chayse grumbled beneath her breath. "The man is absolutely aggravating, and so darn gorgeous and s.e.xy that I refuse to give up on him."
"So, are you interested in him for more than just charitable reasons?" Faith asked curiously, and loosened her arms around April when the girl shifted restlessly on her lap, seemingly trying to gather the courage to approach Santa.
Chayse dug into her camera bag for a different lens. "No more or less than you want Dr. s.e.xy for more than his pediatric skills, I suppose."
"Touche, though I"m also very attracted to that soft spot he has for kids," she said in her own defense, and let her gaze drift back to Matthew, who had a bright-eyed boy perched on his knee and was listening avidly to what he had to say.
As a third-grade schoolteacher having always loved children, Faith appreciated how gentle and focused Matthew was with the kids in the hospital. Being attentive was all part of his job, of course, but Matthew"s caring was genuine. She could see it in his striking blue eyes as he strolled through the children"s ward a few times a week, making sure to stop and visit each child, no matter how sick, and the way he handled them with an abundance of gentleness and compa.s.sion. He even entertained them with sleight-of-hand magic tricks that brought a bit of joy and amus.e.m.e.nt into their sometimes lonely, confined days.
But as great as he was with the younger generation, he was a reputed ladies" man who enjoyed playing the field. He had one broken engagement under his belt, and he"d dated a few of the nurses in the hospital who hadn"t been shy about admitting that he was "the best they"d ever had."
Faith knew and accepted that Matthew wasn"t a forever kind of guy, and that was fine with her, since what she wanted from him was just one night of erotic, breath-stealing pleasure, to finally get him out of her mind, dreams, and nightly fantasies.
Stroking a hand over April"s soft hair, Faith glanced back at her friend, who was busy fiddling with her camera settings, and decided to let Chayse in on her plan. "I"m going to ask Santa over there for a very intimate Christmas present this year, one only he can deliver personally."
Chayse"s grin widened, and her violet-hued eyes glimmered with amus.e.m.e.nt "Well, it"s about time you treated yourself to such a decadent and yummy gift, especially after the way things ended with Martin."
Martin, a successful lawyer, who"d strung her along with false promises until someone better, and more exciting and sophisticated, had piqued his interest and libido, shattering both her heart and her trust. But she was no longer that guileless woman who believed in fairy tale endings, especially not with a man who was known for his prowess with the female gender.
Matthew might agree to an affair with her, but she wasn"t so naive that she"d ever believe she was the type of woman he"d eventually marry. And she knew that particular score upfront, and she wasn"t looking for anything long term, either.
"It"s the right time," Faith countered with a shrug. "With my sister living in Houston with her husband and new family, and my parents off on vacation in Paris, it"s the perfect Christmas gift to myself." She hated to admit it, but she"d been dreading spending the holidays alone, without her parents or sister, for the first time ever. If Matthew agreed to her wish, he"d provide her with a nice sensual kind of distraction, and plenty of fond Christmas memories to look back on.
"I"m certain Santa is just the man to give you exactly what you want and need," Chayse said.
He was definitely that. But for all she knew, he might already have plans for the evening. It was Sat.u.r.day, and two days away from Christmas, a time when many people were booked up with parties, celebrations, or family affairs.
Everyone except her, of course.
Chasye stood and slipped the camera strap around her neck, her gaze suddenly serious, as if she had direct insight into the thoughts tumbling through Faith"s mind. "By the way, you know you can always spend the holidays with me if things don"t work out with Dr. s.e.xy."
"Thank you." Faith smiled gratefully. "I might just take you up on that offer."
"Good luck with Santa." With a quick, sa.s.sy wink, Chayse went back to taking pictures.
For the next half hour, Faith watched the festivities along with April, waiting patiently for the little girl to come out of her sh.e.l.l and join the fun. Finally, all the children had their turn with Santa and were busy playing with the toys he"d given them, but there was still one present left.
Holding a gaily wrapped gift in his hand, Santa looked over the rim of his wire-rimmed gla.s.ses, searching the room for the recipient. "Is April here today?" he asked.
The little girl stiffened in surprise, and not sure whether April would speak up, Faith gently coaxed her to approach Santa for her gift. "Come on, sweetie, I"ll go with you."
With April clasping Faith"s hand tightly, they made their way to Santa. The young girl didn"t want to sit on his lap, but standing so close to him, she stared up at him in awe as he handed her the last present She opened the gift tentatively, and her entire face transformed with gleeful excitement once the box was unwrapped.
"I got the doll I wanted," she squealed in excitement "Thank you, Santa!" She rushed off to share her gift with the friends she"d made during her stay in the hospital.
Feeling warm and fuzzy inside, Faith smiled from April, to Matthew. "Very well done, Santa."
"Thank you," he murmured in that low, velvet-lined voice that sent shivers down her spine. Before she realized his intent, his gloved fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her onto his lap.
Suddenly self-conscious with the nurses and kids looking on in avid interest, and very aware of his hard muscular thighs beneath her bottom and legs, she tried to make light of the situation. "Don"t you think I"m a bit too big to be sitting on your lap?"
"Not at all. You fit just right." His eyes sparkled playfully, and the tilt of his moustache hinted at the s.e.xy-as-sin smile hidden beneath. "So, what about you, Faith? Have you been naughty or nice this year?"
He"d placed his gloved hand on her knee, and the heat of his touch seeped through her slacks and spread upward, wreaking havoc with her s.e.xually deprived body. She inhaled a deep steady breath, and the warm male scent of him invaded her senses, increasing the wanting unfurling in the pit of her belly.
"Oh, I"ve been very nice." Too nice and good, but all that was about to change. And he"d just presented her with the perfect opportunity to act on her intentions, to be the kind of bold a.s.sertive woman she"d always admired from afar but had never been.
"So, what would you like for Christmas?" he asked quite innocently, but there was no mistaking the s.e.xy dare in his gaze.
Caught up in the sensual awareness thrumming between them, Faith seized the moment and made it hers. Cupping her hand over his ear so that no one could hear her very private wish, she whispered, "I want to be naughty, Santa. Very naughty. With you." She gently nipped his lobe to prove how brazen she was willing to be, and heard him suck in a startled breath. "I want one night of unforgettable, anything-goes s.e.x with you, any way I please, and any way you want."
She pulled back, not certain what to expect, but the arousing heat and desire in Matthew"s eyes rea.s.sured her that she"d definitely piqued his interest, and his libido, with her shameless request. And his next words confirmed her hunch.
"Well now, since you"ve been so good this year, I think your request can be arranged," he drawled, and followed that up with a hearty, jovial "Ho, ho, ho!" that had everyone wondering what, exactly, she"d asked for.